Tonight, the City Council will consider amending the existing smoking regulations. The most significant changes apply to housing with four or more units. The proposed ordinance bans smoking in indoor and outdoor common areas, except those designated for smoking. It would also prohibit smoking on private decks, balconies and patios located within 20 feet of a nonsmoking unit; and smoking within 20 feet of a door, operable window or ventilation system.

“We’ve had lots of complaints from renters about smoke in their apartment complexes and we know it’s an issue,” Councilman Michael Harris said. “I believe there is a solution that respects the rights of those who want to smoke but also protects the rights of those who don’t want to be exposed to secondhand smoke.”

Harris acknowledged enforcement of the new rules would be difficult, but he hopes that a posted “no smoking” sign will act as a deterrent to those inclined to light up.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking kills about 443,000 people per year in the United States. Of those, about 49,000 die from exposure to secondhand smoke.

The proposal also requires that landlords make 50 percent of existing apartment units nonsmoking within five years, tell prospective and current tenants the location of units where smoking is permitted and allow tenants to move to another unit within the complex to avoid secondhand smoke. Finally, 75 percent of new rental units must be nonsmoking. The proposed rules for multiunit housing, however, don’t apply to condominium complexes.

“The initial thought was that it was more difficult to regulate condominiums because they are privately owned and they don’t all have common management,” City Attorney Debra Margolis said. “However, several apartment owners have complained that they don’t think it’s fair.”

In 2006, Pleasant Hill banned smoking in city-owned facilities and within 20 feet of such buildings, and in most workplaces. The new rules would ban smoking at outdoor events on city property, and at bus stops, ATMs and ticket lines.

Last year, several Contra Costa cities adopted tougher anti-smoking rules. Martinez became the first city in the county to ban smoking in most public places, including common areas in apartments and condominiums. Richmond adopted similar rules, but went even further by requiring that all multifamily housing units are completely smoke-free by January 2011. Clayton, Concord and Pinole banned smoking in public parks and on public trails.

Around 5:35 p.m., CHP officers responded to a report of the incident in westbound I-580 lanes at Main Street. En route, officers learned a vehicle's driver said a person in another vehicle brandished a handgun and fired a shot.

In addition to evacuating 10 neighboring homes, deputies restricted pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the area while the sheriff's office bomb squad "safely disposed" of the explosives, officials said.